Alfreton man smashed plate over dad's head after messy kitchen row

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, January 20, how Adam Slater, 21, of Broad Meadows, Alfreton, had been pushed, punched and grabbed by the throat by his father before he hit his dad over the head with a plate.

Prosecuting solicitor Sarah Haslam said: “Police received a call from Adam Slater’s step mother saying he had smashed a plate over his dad’s head and there was blood everywhere.

“The father suffered arterial bleeding and was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre and he needed stitches. He had a large deep cut to the rear and left side of his head but he would not give a statement to the police.”

Miss Haslam explained the defendant told police his father Terry Slater had come into his bedroom shouting about the mess in the kitchen and picked up a plate of food and threw it over his room.

The defendant added that his father threw him forward, punched him in the face, according to Miss Haslam, and put his arm against his throat.

Miss Haslam also told how the defendant went downstairs and said he was attacked again by his father who pinned him against a door by the throat and punched him.

She added: “The defendant then hit his father over the head with a plate but what happened didn’t amount to self defence and he regrets his actions and apologises.”

Adam Slater pleaded guilty to committing assault occasioning actual bodily harm after the incident on December 28, last year.

Defence solicitor Paul McLeod said: “It’s a sad case involving family members. It involves an emotional young lad and he’s so remorseful but he was pushed around, punched and held by the throat.

“He wanted it to stop and thought the way to deal with it was to smash a plate over his father’s head.

“He knows he’s been left knocking on the door of a custodial sentence and he knows how wrong he was to do it.”

District Judge Andrew Davison, who recognised the case involved provocation, fined Adam Slater £530 and ordered him to pay £750 compensation, a £53 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

The defendant was also given a two-year restraining order.